Cookie Crazy!

I went over to Jenny's in NJ, and we made some of the hugest cookies I have ever made in my life, short of a bar cookie. It's the LeVain Cookie, and I am so impressed by this bakery; on its website, it even thanks the fans and quotes "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery."

Here's Sarah's head next to some we recreated at home:

Copycat recipe for chocolate chip cookies (We added about 3/4 cup cocoa and 1/2 cup sugar to the recipe to make it double chocolate.

Grease-No-More

A few days ago I got a text message from my friend Casey, who is in a food prep class this semester. He said he had something to tell me that may or may not change my life.

My life is changed.

Frankly, there are few things I dislike more than cleaning out shortening from a measuring cup. In my years as a professional dish-doer, I have never quite mastered a technique that could prevent me and a scrub brush from getting grossly greased. Knowing this, Casey generously shared a most brilliant trick in the realm of shortening measurements.

Here's the idea: get a piece of plastic wrap, drape it over your measuring cup, and pack the shortening in the cup. When you have reached your desired amount, whip the shortening out of the cup, and tada! No greasy corners of shortening in your cup. Hypothetically, the only dish you have to clean is a spoon. I can't wait to try this myself!

I love those saving tricks. One time, while watching the food network, I learned how to get the onion smell off your hands. Take a stainless steel spoon and wash your hands with it under running water! Rub the steel against the effected area, and no onion or garlic residue remains. Trust me on this one--it works. And how.

Let me know if anyone hears of new cooking tricks for the trade.

You never know who's life you might change....